Esther Williams Girls in front of the Cotton residence, a large one-story home, at 402 - 160th St. in Spanaway. Sports cars in foreground are an Austin-Healey (right) and a MG. Jaguar roadster is at far right to the rear. Several admirers are seated on the steps to the home which was just up the road from Spanaway Lake. The Girls were in Tacoma as part of the publicity surrounding the Washington Sports Shop being selected as Tacoma's exclusive dealer for the "Esther Williams Living Pool." (TNT 8/2/1959, pg. A-10) (Additional information provided by a reader)

Sports cars--English; Publicity; Bathing beauties; Esther Williams Girls;

Ernie Grindley, advertising manager for Washington Sports Shop, stages publicity for the store by bringing the Esther Williams Girls to Tacoma. In addition to showing-off their swimsuits, the women are showcasing foreign automobiles--a Jaguar roadster, Austin-Healeys and MGs. The Washington Sports Shop had recently been selected as the exclusive Tacoma dealer of the Esther Williams Living Pool. (TNT 8/2/1959, pg. A-10)

Sports cars--English; Publicity; Bathing beauties; Esther Williams Girls; Washington Sports Shop (Tacoma); Sporting goods stores--Tacoma--1950-1960;

Two men and a woman pose in a Jaguar roadster in front of Washington Sports Shop during appearence by the Esther Williams Girls. Automobiles in background are Austin-Healeys and MGs supplied by Imported Motors. The Washington Sports Shop had been selected as the metropolitan Tacoma dealer for the "Esther Williams Living Pool." The Esther Williams Girls were in Tacoma to publicize the pools, available for as low as $58.50 per month. Pictured are the three principals responsible for the introduction of the pools, left to right: Nelson H. Van De Mark, general manager of Washington Sports Shop, Pat Martin, president of Scott-Martin Inc., Washington distributor of Esther Williams pools and Joel Hayes, Esther Williams executive. (TNT 8/2/1959, pg A-10)

Sports cars--English; Publicity; Bathing beauties; Esther Williams Girls; Washington Sports Shop (Tacoma); Sporting goods stores--Tacoma--1950-1960; Van De Mark, Nelson; Martin, Pat; Hayes, Joel;

Two "Esther Williams Girls" pose with a brand new Jaguar roadster in front of the Imported Motor Incorporated dealership at 7030 So. Tacoma Way on July 25, 1959. Ernie Grindley brought the Esther Williams Girls to Tacoma as a publicity stunt for Tom Carstens' Imported Motors and The Washington Sports Shop. Imported Motors sold MGs, Austin-Healeys and Jaguars. The Washington Sports Shop, at 924 Pacific Avenue specialized in hunting and fishing supplies. It shared a building with the Washington Hardware Company. The Washington Sports Shop was publicizing its selection as the exclusive Tacoma dealer for the "Esther Williams Living Pool." The driver of the sports car is Pat Martin, president of Scott-Martin, Inc., Washington distributor of the pool. (TNT 8/2/1959, pg. A-10)

Imported Motors Cars, Inc.(Tacoma); Automobile dealerships--Tacoma--1950-1960; Sports cars--Tacoma--1950-1960; Celebrity touring; Esther Williams Girls;

Esther Williams Girls riding down the 900 block of Broadway in sports cars. The automobile in foreground is a Jaguar roadster, an Austin-Healey is farther down the block. The bathing beauties are cruising Tacoma as an opening celebration of Washington Sports Shop being selected as the Tacoma dealer for the "Esther Williams Living Pool." The girls would also be appearing for a week daily in the store's display window on Pacific Avenue. The sports cars were supplied by Imported Motors. (TNT 8/2/1959, pg. A-10)

Sports cars--English; Publicity; Bathing beauties; Esther Williams Girls;

The Washington Co-op farm supply display. On display are items such as milking machines and equipment, egg incubators, tires and freezers. The room is crowded with things that are needed on a family farm.

Washington Cooperative Farmers Association (Tacoma); Merchandise displays--Tacoma--1950-1960; Agricultural industries;

Interior of the Washington Coop warehouse. The forklift driver to the right pauses in his movement of boxes to discuss things with a man with a clipboard. The man to the left of the picture is using a manually operated fork lift.

Washington Cooperative Farmers Association (Tacoma); Warehouses--1950-1960; Hoisting machinery;

Quality control testing in the bulk grain storage, photograph ordered by the Washington Co-op. The uniformed man is selecting samples of the grain in the compartments of a long pole. The length of the pole is perhaps due to the need to test samples from the core of the pile of grain.

Washington Cooperative Farmers Association (Tacoma); Grain elevators--Tacoma; Mills--Tacoma; Food storage buildings--Tacoma; Product inspection; Food adulteration & inspection; Testing;

Exterior shot taken in the country of a feed truck unloading into a bulk feed bin, ordered by the Washington Cooperative Farmers Association. The photograph was shot for a periodical cover illustration. Client wanted to show the new feed truck with its automatic conveyor unloading into the bulk feed bin. Photograph taken by a photographer who climbed to the top of another bulk bin with an 8 x 10 camera.

Washington Cooperative Farmers Association (Tacoma); Shipping--Tacoma--1950-1960; Trucks--Tacoma--1950-1960; Farming--Tacoma; Food industry--Tacoma;

Progress photos at the Orell residence, ordered by National Lumber Manufacturing. A workman is installing windows at the new home of Bernard and Helen Orell. Sixteen smaller panes of glass are being installed as a single unit. The windows surround an area on two sides, perhaps a fifties version of a sun room.

Construction--Lakewood--1950-1960; Carpentry; Orell, Bernard--Homes & haunts; Houses--Lakewood--1950-1960;

The new home of Karl and Ruth Johnson at 11309 Loma Place in Rhododendron Lanes. The rambler has a cottage style peaked roof and cross hatched window panes. It features a wide driveway and a two car garage. Picture ordered by Cole & Weber, Bob Harrison.

Houses--Lakewood--1950-1960; Johnson, Karl--Homes & haunts;

Family amateur photographers, armed with an assortment of both still and home movie cameras, captured the July 1959 reunion of the R.H. Horne family. The reunion was the first for their family in 22 years. Seated in front are Mr. and Mrs. R.H. Horne and standing behind them are their six children: (l to r) Dagny Ronning, John Horne, Evelyn Newkirk, Isabel Alford, Glenn Horne and Martha Conner. Family members have come to the Horne home from New Jersey, California and Oregon. The 1960 City Directory lists a Ragwald H. and Vina Horne at 9519 E."G." A dinner was held at the All Saints Episcopal Church for the extended family and an Open House was held at the parish hall on Sunday, attended by over 100 guests. (TNT 7/21/1959, pg. 12)

Horne, Ragwald--Family; Horne, Ragwald--Homes & haunts; Reunions--Tacoma--1950-1960; Homecomings--Tacoma--1950-1960;

Post #202 Legion Studs baseball team at Cheney Field. The team is flanked by their manager and their coach. Posed in the front row with the team are three small bat boys. The 202 Legion Studs played in the American Legion Jr. Baseball League, finishing the regular season 11-3. They were one of the teams in a four way tie for area champion. A double elimination tournament was held to decide the winner; the Studs were the first team eliminated in the tourney which was won by the Stadium-Bellarmine 138 team. The Studs placed second in the 4th of July tourney in Longview, defeated by Centralia. (TNT 7/6/1959, pg. 17; 7/28/1959, pg. 18)

Baseball players--Tacoma--1950-1960; Baseball--Tacoma--1950-1960; American Legion Tacoma Post No. 202 (Tacoma)--Baseball players;

Lundberg Concrete Pipe Co. Lundberg was a family owned business with Oscar Lundberg as president. They had a large plant on Center St. near Allenmore Golf course. They manufactured pipe and used the surrounding hillsides as storage.

Lundberg Concrete Pipe Co., Inc. (Tacoma); Pipes (Conduits)--Tacoma; Industrial facilities--Tacoma--1950-1960;

Panoramic views of the Narrows Bridge fill this window frame of a house under construction. Possible locations, listed in Richards' records, are 1720 No. Cascade or 3623 So. Whitmann in Skyline Terrace, contractor R.H. Johnson.

Construction--Tacoma--1950-1960; Houses--Tacoma--1950-1960;

What better way to introduce visitors to the Northwest's scenic beauty than a relaxing cruise on Commencement Bay? Mayor Ben Hanson (2nd from left) welcomed the delegation from Tacoma's Japanese sister city on July 16, 1959. Kokura (now part of Kitakyushu), Japan became Tacoma's first sister city on July 2, 1959. Tiachung, Taiwan became Tacoma's ninth sister city in May 2000. ALBUM 16. Trueblood #81.

Mayors--Tacoma--1940-1950; Hanson, Ben; Delegations--Japanese; Foreign visitors--Japan; Boats;

A new home was being constructed in July of 1959 at 1720 No. Cascade in the shadow of the Narrows Bridge. These homes in the Skyline Terrace addition featured superb views of the Narrows. The owners of the home were Harry J. and Gloria S. Winsor. Mr. Winsor was an electrical engineer with the City Department of Public Utilities. Also occupying the new home were their three daughters Christine, Gaye and Margaret. The architect was Seifert of Worthen, Wing, Seifert & Forbes. The contractor was Dick Wegner. The Winsor family moved into their new home in January of 1960. (information supplied by Christine Winsor)

Construction--Tacoma--1950-1960; Houses--Tacoma--1950-1960; Winsor, Harry J.--Homes & haunts;

The Tacoma Buddhist Church at 1717 Fawcett Ave. held an O-bon Festival on Sunday, July 19, 1959. Dressed in kimonos with obis around their waists and zori sandals on their feet are (l to r) Carol Hayashi, Lynne Nakagawara, Laurie Tanabe, Kathy Tanabe, Atsuko Duchi and Joyce Nakagawara. The festival opened at 7 p.m. with a religious ceremonial dance. This was followed by a selection of colorful Japanese folk dances. Japanese paper lanterns were used as decoration, and Japanese flower arrangements by the women of the Buddhist Fujin-Kai were on display in the church basement. (TNT 7/17/1959, pg. 14) Picture ordered by the Tacoma Buddhist Church

Kimonos; Japanese Americans--Tacoma; Girls--Tacoma--1950-1960; Hayashi, Carol; Nakagawara, Lynne; Tanabe, Laurie; Tanabe, Kathy; Duchi, Atsuko; Nakagawara, Joyce;

Interior of the warehouse at Western Drug Supply at 3908 6th Ave. A roller conveyor belt circles around a Series 50 IBM model that appears to be printing orders. The orders go into the cardboard boxes and on down the belt to be filled. Many potted plants and flowers with cards attached have been sent to celebrate the warehouse's grand opening. This warehouse is the fifth in the firm's chain. Other distribution centers are located in Seattle, Spokane, Eugene and Sacramento. The warehouse supplies drugs to pharmacies. This location will serve Tacoma, Bremerton and all of southwest Washington. (TNT 8/5/1959, pg C-16, 9/27/1959, pg. B-5)

Western Drug Supply (Tacoma); Pharmaceutical industry--Tacoma; Medicines; Drugstores--Tacoma; Commercial facilities--Tacoma; Business enterprises--Tacoma;

Interior of the warehouse at Western Drug Supply at 3908 6th Ave. Packaged pharmaceuticals line the shelves. Orders are filled by placing the drugs in a carton and putting them on the small conveyor belt. The Supply Co. specialized in service to drug stores or pharmacies. This new warehouse was the fifth in the firm's chain and it would serve Tacoma, Bremerton and all of southwest Washington as far south as Longview. The warehouse was 6,000 square feet and employed 12. (TNT 8/5/1959, pg. C-16)

Western Drug Supply (Tacoma); Pharmaceutical industry--Tacoma; Medicines; Drugstores--Tacoma; Commercial facilities--Tacoma; Business enterprises--Tacoma;

On the evening of July 2, 1959, the merchants of the Villa Plaza Shopping Center in Lakewood sponsored a fireworks extravaganza. Warm mid summer temperatures brought out a crowd to the enormous parking lot of Villa Plaza to view the show. The shopping center had available parking for 4,000 cars. People stood next to their cars, lay on car hoods, and watched through car windows as the star shells and sky rockets burst overhead. The event opened with thousands of gift certificate laden ping pong balls being dropped from a helicopter to the waiting crowd. The gift certificates represented $6,000 in merchandise being given away by mall stores. The stores stayed open until 9:30p.m. and the fireworks started at 9:45. (TNT 7/1/1959, pg. A-11; 7/2/1959, pg. 12) TPL-6596

Fireworks--1950-1960; Holidays--1950-1960; Fourth of July celebrations; Villa Plaza Shopping Center (Lakewood); Shopping centers--Lakewood--1950-1960;

The rafting and sheathing progress on the Gravelly Lake residence of Bernard and Helen Orell, ordered by the National Lumber Dealers Association. Orell was the vice president of the Weyerhaeuser Lumber Co.

Construction--Lakewood--1950-1960; Carpentry; Orell, Bernard--Homes & haunts; Houses--Lakewood--1950-1960;

In July of 1959 the stately old County Courthouse at 1012 South G Street, adorned with large signs on its southeast tower declaring "This building is coming down" and "Salvage for sale", was in the process of being demolished. Lige Dickson and Co., the subcontractor for the demolition, had gutted much of the interior and the north wing was already gone. Built in 1892, its familiar Romanesque spires and cupolas made it a Tacoma landmark. By 1959 the beauty of the building's stone work hid deteriorating interior walls and sagging floors. A "Save the Courthouse" movement failed after generating only 20 letters. The final hold up to demolition was that Pierce County Sheriff Frank Stojack refused to move his department to the new County-City building until he received increased funding for a larger staff to man the new facility. After demolition was completed, the area formerly occupied by the Courthouse served as a parking lot for the County-City building. (TNT 4/22/1959, pg. 1, 4/30/1959, pg. 1, 6/20/1959, pg. 1) TPL-6567

Pierce County Courthouse (Tacoma); Courthouses--Tacoma; County-City Building (Tacoma); State Armory (Tacoma);

By July of 1959, demolition of the aging Gothic-styled Piece County Courthouse, 1012 South G Street, was well underway. Lige Dickson & Co. began tearing down the old courthouse in June with cranes and wrecking balls bringing it down piece by piece over the next several weeks. In July explosive charges were set and the remainder of the courthouse came tumbling down. A parking lot for the new County City Building, shown at right, was built on the site. BU 12845; TPL-6561

Pierce County Courthouse (Tacoma); Courthouses--Tacoma; Historic buildings--Tacoma; Hoisting machinery; Demolition--Tacoma--1950-1960;

The framing progress on the Gravelly Lake residence of Bernard and Helen Orell, ordered by the National Lumber Dealers Association. Balancing like a cat on the narrow beams, a carpenter pounds a board into place on the roof framing. The framing forms the skeleton of the house. Orell was the vice president of the Weyerhaeuser Lumber Co.

Construction--Lakewood--1950-1960; Carpentry; Orell, Bernard--Homes & haunts; Houses--Lakewood--1950-1960;

The framing progress on the new Lakewood residence of Bernard and Helen Orell, ordered by the National Lumber Dealers Association. Bernard Orell was the vice president of Weyerhaeuser Lumber Co. A man crouches on a beam, silhouetted against the sky, as he fits two pieces of wood together.

Construction--Lakewood--1950-1960; Carpentry; Orell, Bernard--Homes & haunts; Houses--Lakewood--1950-1960;

The framing progress on the new Lakewood residence of Bernard and Helen Orell, ordered by the National Lumber Dealers Association. Several men lift a heavy support beam into place. Bernard Orell was the vice president of Weyerhaeuser Lumber Co.

Construction--Lakewood--1950-1960; Carpentry; Orell, Bernard--Homes & haunts; Houses--Lakewood--1950-1960;

The framing progress on the new residence of Bernard and Helen Orell, ordered by the National Lumber Dealers Association. The shape of the large rambler is coming into view as the framing progresses. The home is roughly in an L shape, with what is possibly the garage at the bottom of the picture. Bernard Orell was the vice president of the Weyerhaeuser Lumber Co.

Construction--Lakewood--1950-1960; Carpentry; Orell, Bernard--Homes & haunts; Houses--Lakewood--1950-1960;

The framing progress on the new residence of Bernard and Helen Orell, ordered by the National Lumber Dealers Association. Bernard Orell was the vice president of Weyerhaeuser Lumber Co. The wooden framework is the skeleton around which a house is built. Lumber is nailed together in a structure that will support the walls and roof. The two men in the picture perch precariously on beams while framing what appears to be the roof.

Construction--Lakewood--1950-1960; Carpentry; Orell, Bernard--Homes & haunts; Houses--Lakewood--1950-1960;

Four models showed off the latest in fur fashions at the Gold Seal Chinchilla annual convention fashion show June 22, 1959, at Steve's Gay Nineties. The unidentified model on the left wore a fur stole and a muff. The young girl to her right, eight year old Marcia Johnson of Chelan, sported a fur collar and a muff, with the smaller girl, four year old Jill (Jo Ann) Streets of Tacoma, wore a stole. The platinum blonde on the right, Hazel Gjerde, wore a silk or satin dressing gown trimmed in chinchilla fur. Adult models for the fashion show were listed as Mrs. Walter Johnson of Chelan, Miss Hazel Gjerde of Tacoma, Mrs. Ivan Thorson of Kirkland and Miss Caralene Streets of Tacoma. Raising chinchillas for the fur market was a home business boom in the fifties. Four hundred members of the Gold Seal Chinchilla Association gathered in Tacoma from the Northwest, Canada and as far east as Minnesota. (TNT 6/19/1959, pg. 25)

Fur trade--Tacoma; Business enterprises--Tacoma; Gold Seal Chinchilla Enterprises (Tacoma); Fur garments; Clothing & dress--Tacoma--1950-1960; Johnson, Marcia; Streets, Jill;